Write with a spe­cif­ic per­son in mind. When writ­ing Berkshire Hathaway’s annu­al report, I pre­tend that I’m talk­ing to my sis­ters. I have no trouble pic­tur­ing them: Though highly intel­li­gent, they are not experts in account­ing or fin­ance. They will under­stand plain Eng­lish, but jar­gon may puzzle them. My goal is simply to give them the inform­a­tion I would wish them to sup­ply me if our pos­i­tions were reversed. To suc­ceed, I don’t need to be Shakespeare; I must, though, have a sin­cere desire to inform.